


The Fire We Was Born In

by zeldadestry



Category: The OC
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-28
Updated: 2008-05-28
Packaged: 2017-10-09 22:43:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/92387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeldadestry/pseuds/zeldadestry
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>like it would never end</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fire We Was Born In

**Author's Note:**

> Title and inspiration from Bruce Springsteen's song 'Backstreets'

It was a hot summer, and Seth spent every day with Ryan Atwood. Their futures were closing in on them, they both knew there was nothing they could do, but they talked about their time together like it would stretch on and on, like it would never end. Sometimes Seth had one of his parents' cars, but when he didn't, he and Ryan hitched rides down to the beach. Some nights they made it back to the Cohen's and crashed in the pool house, but mostly they wanted their freedom and would sleep in one of the Newport Group's model homes. They'd stay up almost until dawn, most nights, or wake up to see the sun rise, then go back to sleep. Drunk or high or drunk and high, pot and beer and laughing at everything and Ryan was a fucking storyteller when he was drunk, and sometimes they'd be down at the docks, kissing in the shadows, where no one could see them, where they could pretend they were part of some other world. Yeah, a better one.

Sometimes they went to the clubs, danced with beautiful girls, so many beautiful girls. Marissa Cooper couldn't keep her eyes or hands off Ryan, and although Summer pretended to despise Seth, when he dragged her out onto the floor she drew him close to her, tangled her fingers in his hair.

One weekend when his parents were away, he brought Ryan home with him. They stripped to their boxers and dove into the pool.

It can always be like this, right, Ryan? You and me against the world.

Right, Ryan said, and they slept soundly beside each other, sharing Seth's bed.

Maybe I'll defer college for a while, Seth said the next morning at the diner. Maybe I could work full time at the comic shop and we could get a place. You know, together.

Ryan only shrugged and lit up another cig.

But it seemed like summer had its nightmares, too. Marissa ODed, and a kid named Johnny they used to surf with killed himself, and this guy, Luke, yeah, they'd always thought he was an asshole, but they were sorry he got shot at a party. And then Ryan's brother came into town and Ryan, the Ryan Seth knew, disappeared. It wasn't just that Seth hardly ever saw him, but that when he did, Ryan was fierce and scowling and ignored him. And then Trey was gone, left town as quickly as he'd come into it, and everything should have gone back to how it was, but Ryan was far away and closed off. They didn't talk anymore, not like they had, but from then on whenever Seth tried to touch Ryan, Ryan didn't stop him.

Sometimes Volchok showed up, and Ryan always went to talk to him, and Seth could tell they were planning something and he was afraid. Volchok's a bad dude, he said.

And Ryan said, don't I fucking know it. I can take care of myself, Seth.

Volchok always smelled of stale smoke and sweat, his pupils were always dilated, and he called Seth Atwood's little bitch.

Shut the fuck up, Ryan always said, but still Seth would find them, huddled together in some conspiracy, probably criminal, he knew.

And when his mom said, why don't we have your friend over for dinner? Seth almost laughed in her face.

Ryan and Volchok split town at the end of August with a stolen Benz and four hundred thousand dollars worth of jewelry. Seth got right up in the face of anyone who mentioned it and said, I hope they get away with it.

And he did. He hated Volchok, and he always would. He hated Ryan, too. But Ryan was the only person in the world he hated and loved. Someday Ryan would be sorry. Someday Ryan would be back. Not to Newport, he could never show his face here again, but back to Seth. And Seth would tell him how much he hated him, would even slap his fucking face. And Seth would take him in, Seth would take him in and lie beside him in bed in the afternoon, with the sun shining on their naked skin. Seth would take him in, and they would lie together, side by side, day after day, night after night, and summer would never, ever end.


End file.
